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AGRICULTURE 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING 
OF  DAIRY  COWS 


BY  W.  B.  NEVENS 


URBANA,  ILLINOIS,  MAY,  1927 


SUMMARY 

Eight  dairy  cows  were  fed  by  the  self-feeder  or  free-choice  method 
of  feeding  for  periods  ranging  from  14  to  130  weeks. 

There  was  a  general  tendency  for  the  cows  to  consume  nutrients 
greatly  in  excess  of  their  requirements  as  estimated  from  the  Armsby 
feeding  standard.  For  a  short  period  following  calving,  however,  sev- 
eral cows  failed  to  consume  sufficient  nutrients  to  meet  their  estimated 
needs.  With  the  exception  of  one  case,  protein  was  consumed  in 
greater  excess  than  net  energy. 

The  high  level  of  feed  intake  resulted  in  a  marked  increase  in 
weight  of  most  of  the  cows  and  presumably,  therefore,  a  higher  main- 
tenance cost.  It  seemed  at  first  that  some  of  the  cows  would  gradually 
accustom  themselves  to  a  consumption  of  nutrients  upon  a  level  with 
their  requirements,  but  such  an  adjustment  failed  to  appear  in  the 
period  covered  by  the  experiments.  For  the  reasons  given,  therefore, 
self-feeding  proved  uneconomical. 

The  self-feeder  method  proved  useful  in  studying  the  relative  pal- 
atability  of  different  feeds.  Not  all  cows  showed  preferences  for  the 
same  feeds,  however.  Some  were  consumed  freely  to  the  almost  entire 
exclusion  of  others  to  which  the  cow  had  access.  The  preferences  of 
several  of  the  cows  changed  suddenly  and  the  marked  partiality  for  a 
certain  feed  often  extended  over  a  long  period.  Mixed  concentrates 
proved  less  palatable  than  the  same  concentrates  fed  separately,  as 
judged  by  the  total  concentrate  consumption,  altho  there  were  excep- 
tions to  this.  No  two  cows  exhibited  the  same  preferences  for  all  feeds. 

Corn  proved  the  most  palatable  of  the  low-protein  concentrates 
used.  Even  tho  concentrates  were  consumed  in  very  large  amounts, 
the  amount  of  roughage  eaten  remained  at  a  high  level. 

The  few  records  of  milk  production  secured  failed  to  indicate  that 
milk  secretion  was  stimulated  by  the  self-feeder  method  as  compared 
with  the  usual  method  of  hand-feeding.  Limiting  cows  to  high-protein 
feeds  only,  seemed  to  have  a  depressing  effect  upon  milk  production. 

No  harmful  effects  from  self- feeding  upon  the  health  or  reproduc- 
tive functions  of  the  cows  were  shown  within  the  period  of  the  experi- 
ment, but  there  is  some  possibility  that  injurious  effects  upon  the  body 
tissues  were  being  gradually  brought  about  in  cows  limited  to  high- 
protein  feeds  only.  It  may  be  that  some  physiological  disturbances 
were  responsible  for  the  lessened  milk  production  which  accompanied 
the  high-protein  feeding. 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING 
OF  DAIRY  COWS1 

By  W.  B.  NEVENS,  Assistant  Chief  in 
Dairy  Cattle  Feeding 

The  self-feeder  or  free-choice  method  of  feeding  both  roughages 
and  concentrates  has  been  employed  successfully  with  a  number  of 
different  species  of  animals,  such  as  swine,  sheep,  cattle,  and  poultry, 
under  both  experimental  and  practical  farm  conditions.  This  plan  of 
feeding  has  been  especially  favored  in  the  fattening  of  animals  for 
market,  since  it  usually  results  in  the  consumption  of  much  larger 
quantities  of  feed  and  thus  more  rapid  and  economical  gains  than 
hand-feeding.  There  is  also,  as  a  rule,  a  saving  in  labor. 

Altho  this  method  has  been  used  for  many  years  in  the  feeding  of 
beef  cattle,  but  little  use  of  it  has  been  made  with  dairy  cattle,  ex- 
cept to  a  limited  extent  in  raising  calves  and  in  the  feeding  of  rough- 
ages.2 

The  idea  that  greater  milk  production  might  be  secured  from 
dairy  cows  by  the  free-choice  method  of  feeding  than  by  the  usual 
plan  of  hand- feeding  was  the  chief  motive  for  undertaking  this  inves- 
tigation. It  seemed  reasonable  to  assume  that  if  a  cow  were  given  ac- 
cess constantly  to  a  supply  of  feeds  known  to  be  suited  to  milk  pro- 
duction, she  might  eat  more  than  when  hand-fed  and  her  milk  yield 
be  thereby  increased.  Several  other  questions  connected  with  the  self- 
feeding  of  dairy  cows  were  also  studied:  namely,  the  economy  of  the 
method;  whether  cows  given  freedom  in  selecting  their  own  feeds 
would  consume  the  different  ones  in  such  amounts  that  the  proper  pro- 
portions would  be  maintained  among  the  several  nutrients;  and 
whether  self-feeding  could  be  employed  without  injury.  The  relative 
palatability  of  the  different  feeds  was  also  a  point  of  interest  in  the 
study. 

So  far  as  the  author  has  been  able  to  ascertain,  the  first  feeding 
trial  with  dairy  cows  in  which  the  free-choice  method  was  used  ex- 
clusively was  carried  out  at  the  Illinois  Station  under  the  direction  of 
Professor  W.  W.  Yapp  in  1922  (Holler5).  In  view  of  the  thoro  man- 


Submitted  for  publication  April  15,  1926. 

'Investigations  in  the  feeding  of  dairy  calves  by  the  free-choice  method  have 
been  reported  by  Hulce1  at  the  Illinois  Station,  McCandlish2  at  Iowa,  and  Nev- 
ens3  at  Nebraska.  Hunt4  conducted  a  feeding  trial  in  which  a  group  of  cows,  after 
being  fed  in  the  usual  manner  in  the  stable  each  morning,  was  turned  into  a  lot 
containing  a  self-feeder,  where  they  remained  until  night. 

427 


428  BULLETIN  No.  289  [May, 

ner  in  which  that  work  was  done,  the  results  obtained  are  presented 
here  in  connection  with  those  secured  by  the  author.a 


HOW  THE  COWS  WERE  FED  AND  THE  RECORDS 
SECURED 

Eight  cows  of  moderate  productivity  were  used  in  the  experi- 
ments. Until  it  could  be  demonstrated  that  the  self-feeder  method 
might  be  used  without  injury,  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  place 
the  highest-producing  cows  in  the  herd  under  an  experiment  of  this 
kind. 

Records  of  feed  consumption,  live  weight,  and  milk  production 
were  secured  by  the  author  for  four  cows  for.  periods  of  different 
lengths,  one  cow  being  under  experiment  60  weeks,  another  78  weeks, 
the  third  104  weeks,  and  the  fourth  130  weeks.  Similar  records  were 
secured  by  Holler5  for  one  cow  for  26  weeks,  one  cow  for  20  weeks,  and 
two  cows  for  14  weeks  each.  The  cows  were  kept  in  individual  box 
stalls  in  each  of  which  a  self-feeder  provided  a  continuous  supply  of 
several  different  feeds  (Fig.  1).  They  had  access  to  the  feeds  at  all 
times  except  for  periods  during  the  day  when  they  were  turned  out- 
doors for  exercise  and  water.  The  length  of  the  exercise  periods  varied 
from  one  to  several  hours,  depending  upon  weather  conditions. 

The  self-feeder  for  concentrates  contained  four  or  five  hopper 
compartments  in  which  separate  feeds  were  placed  as  needed  in  order 
to  keep  a  constant  supply  of  each.  Silage  and  hay  were  usually  fed  in 
larger,  separate  compartments,  some  of  which  were  provided  with  slat- 
ted covers  to  prevent  loss  of  feed.  Water  was  provided  in  some  stalls 
by  means  of  automatic  water  bowls.  In  the  experiments  by  Holler  the 
bedding  consisted  of  straw,  but  in  the  subsequent  experiments  shavings 
were  the  only  material  used  for  this  purpose. 

The  cows  were  gradually  accustomed  to  the  experimental  condi- 
tions during  a  preliminary  period  of  two  to  three  weeks.  Roughage 
and  a  concentrate  mixture  were  offered  in  gradually  increasing 
amounts  until  the  cows  were  consuming  all  they  cared  for.  Each  con- 
centrate was  then  placed  in  a  separate  compartment. 

Records  of  feed  consumption  were  secured  by  weekly  periods  and 
in  some  of  Holler's  work  each  day.  At  the  end  of  each  experimental 


*The  facilities  of  the  Department  of  Dairy  Husbandry  were  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  Mr.  L.  S.  Holler,  a  student  in  the  College  of  Agriculture,  for  this  study. 
Most  of  the  records  of  feed  consumption  and  live  weight  for  two  of  the  cows 
were  obtained  by  Mr.  Holler  in  person,  while  the  same  data  for  the  other  two,  to- 
gether with  records  of  milk  production  and  butterfat  tests  for  all  four  cows,  were 
secured  by  herdsmen  and  laboratory  helpers  in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  feeding 
trials  conducted  by  the  author. 


.7557]  EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows  429 

week  the  feed  remaining  in  each  compartment  was  weighed  and  the 
amount  recorded.  Usually  the  feed  was  returned  to  the  compartment 
and,  if  necessary,  more  feed  added.  Occasionally  the  feeds  remaining 
in  the  hoppers  at  the  end  of  the  week  were  discarded  and  fresh  supplies 
^substituted. 

Common  salt  was  supplied  in  a  separate  compartment,  and  in 
some  cases  records  of  salt  consumption  were  kept.  Steamed  bone  meal 
•or  ground  limestone  was  also  supplied  to  four  cows  and  some  records 


FIG.  1. — EQUIPMENT  USED  IN  SELF-FEEDING  DAIRY  Cows 

Each  cow  was  kept  constantly  in  a  box  stall  where 
she  had  free  access  to  a  continuous  supply  of  a  number 
of  feeds.  No  changes  in  the  feed  were  made  at  calving 
time. 


of  their  consumption  secured.  All  cows  were  weighed  weekly.  No 
variation  in  the  method  of  feeding  or  general  routine  was  made  on  ac- 
count of  gestation  or  parturition. 

The  milk  produced  at  each  milking  was  weighed  and  sampled. 
Seven-day  composite  samples  of  the  milk  were  preserved  by  means  of 
mercuric  chlorid  tablets  and  were  tested  for  butterfat  by  means  of  the 
Babcock  test.  A  digestion  trial  was  conducted  with  one  cow  while  be- 
ing self-fed  and  in  a  subsequent  period  while  being  hand-fed  on  a  lim- 
ited ration. 

The  feed  records  show  that  the  amount  of  concentrates  in  certain 
compartments  from  which  the  cows  apparently  had  not  eaten  often 
weighed  from  .1  to  .2  of  a  pound  and  occasionally  as  much  as  .3  of  a 
pound  more  at  the  end  of  the  week  than  at  the  beginning.  This  may 
have  been  due  to  several  causes.  The  feeds  in  being  exposed  to  the 


430 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


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EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


431 


stable  air  for  a  week  probably  absorbed  some  moisture.  The  cows 
sometimes  nosed  over  the  feeds  without  eating  them,  thus  possibly 
adding  moisture  to  them.  It  was  also  observed  that  a  cow  while  eat- 
ing from  one  compartment  moved  her  head  about  and  sometimes 
dropped  small  amounts  of  feed  into  other  compartments  or  on  the 
floor.  Hay  and  other  feeds  spilled  on  the  floor  were  gathered  up  fre- 
quently and  returned  to  the  proper  compartments.  While  an  effort  of 


NET    tNLRGY -hmtRMS 

(AMOUNT!  CONSUMLP  Wt 


FIG.  2. — Cow  25  WAS  AN  ECONOMICAL  CONSUMER  OF  NET  ENERGY  BUT  Nor  OF 
DIGESTIBLE  TRUE  PROTEIN 

This  chart  shows  the  large  amount  of  digestible  protein  supplied  by  alfalfa 
hay,  the  only  feed  consumed.  (See  Fig.  10  for  feed  record.)  Except  during  the 
week  following  calving,  the  alfalfa  hay  eaten  furnished  70  percent  more  protein 
than  was  needed  for  body  maintenance  and  liberal  milk  production.  Greater  milk 
production  would  doubtless  have  been  secured  had  some  concentrates  been  con- 
sumed, for  at  times  the  alfalfa  hay  eaten  was  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  net  energy 
needs.  With  alfalfa  hay  as  the  sole  feed  an  excess  of  protein  was  of  course  sup- 
plied whenever  enough  hay  was  consumed  to  meet  the  net  energy  needs. 


course  was  made  to  keep  the  records  as  accurate  as  possible,  it  was 
impossible  to  avoid  the  relatively  small  errors  incurred  in  these  ways. 
The  amounts  of  digestible  true  protein  and  net  energy  in  the  feeds 
consumed  have  been  calculated  in  order  to  form  a  basis  of  comparison 
with  the  estimated  requirements  for  maintenance  and  milk  produc- 
tion.4 


"The  apparent  live  weights  of  cattle  fluctuate  greatly  from  day  to  day  and 
from  week  to  week,  owing  to  variations  in  the  water  content  of  the  body,  rate  of 
excretion  of  waste,  feed  intake,  and  various  other  causes.  Variations  in  feed  in- 
take were  very  evident  in  this  investigation.  In  order  to  secure  a  suitable  basis 
for  the  calculation  of  data  relative  to  live  weight,  the  observed  weights  were 
smoothed  according  to  a  method  given  by  Rietz.8 

The  digestible  true  protein  and  net  energy  contents  of  the  feeds  consumed, 
were  calculated  according  to  the  average  values  published  by  Borland.7  Analyses 
were  made  of  some  of  the  silage  and  hay  fed,  but  these  have  not  been  used  ex- 
cept in  calculating  the  results  of  the  digestion  trial. 

In  order  to  provide  a  suitable  basis  for  comparison  with  the  amounts  of  nu- 
trients consumed,  the  requirements  of  digestible  true  protein  and  net  energy  for 


432 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May. 


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8 3 


1927} 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


433 


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4  a  B  »Mt4*a3eM4044WSaMUM«7EMM»«M9tMHOI04loaUZIMI»OIMItai3t 
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Yio.  4.  —  AN  UNUSUALLY  Low  INTAKE  OF  DIGESTIBLE  TRUE  PROTEIN  CHARACTERIZED  THE  FEED  RECORD  OF  Cow  576 

This  cow  continued  to  produce  milk  at  quite  a  high  level  and  to  gain  in  weight  (Fig.  12)  altho  her  intake  of  digestible 
true  protein  over  a  period  of  six  months  was  continuously  lower  than  the  estimated  requirements.  During  the  experiment 
as  a  whole,  also,  the  total  consumption  of  this  nutrient  was  less  than  the  estimated  requirement.  The  net  energy  consump- 
tion was  much  above  the  requirement,  which  is  characteristic  of  self-fed  cows  offered  low-protein  concentrates. 

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434 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May, 


SELF-FEEDER  METHOD  NOT  SO  ECONOMICAL 
AS  HAND-FEEDING 

That  the  self-feeder  method  for  dairy  cows  is  not  economical  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  amount  of  feed  consumed  may  be  seen  by  a 
glance  at  Table  1  and  Figs.  2  to  9,  in  which  the  amounts  of  digestible 
true  protein  and  net  energy  consumed  are  compared  with  the  require- 
ments of  the  animals  for  these  substances  as  set  forth  in  the  Armsby 
feeding  standard. 


k 


-V     1 


FIG.  5. — Cow  267  RESEMBLED  Cow  25  IN  BEING  AN  ECONOMICAL  CONSUMER  OF 
NET  ENERGY  BUT  NOT  OF  DIGESTIBLE  TRUE  PROTEIN 

During  the  first  15  weeks  corn  was  offered,  with  the  result  that  the  intake  of 
net  energy  was  considerably  above  the  requirements,  but  during  the  remainder  of 
the  experiment,  when  the  concentrates  consisted  of  high-protein  feeds  only,  the 
consumption  of  net  energy  was  variable  but  on  the  whole  slightly  below  the  re- 
quired amount.  The  difference  between  the  amounts  of  digestible  true  protein 
consumed  and  required  was  much  less  than  for  Cow  27. 


Most  of  the  cows  at  times  consumed  from  50  to  100  percent  more 
net  energy  than  their  estimated  requirements.  The  cows  having  ac- 
cess to  some  low-protein  feeds,  particularly  corn,  in  general  consumed 
a  greater  amount  of  net  energy  above  their  requirements  than  did  the 
cows  offered  high-protein  feeds  or  a  concentrate  mixture  only. 

The  charts  do  not,  however,  tell  the  whole  story  with  respect  to 
the  economy  of  the  method.  Most  of  the  cows  remained  in  a  high 


maintenance  and  milk  production  were  calculated  according  to  the  Armsby  stand- 
ard as  published  by  Borland.7  It  is  recognized  that  feeding  standards  are  merely 
guides  to  aid  in  securing  approximately  accurate  results  in  practical  feeding; 
while  they  may  be  far  from  exact  under  the  widely  varying  conditions  of  practice 
and  also  of  these  experiments,  it  is  believed  that  they  afford  a  useful  basis  for 
studying  the  data  secured  in  an  investigation  such  as  this. 

Milk  yields  were  corrected  on  the  basis  of  their  gross  energy  values  to  a  uni- 
form basis  of  milk  containing  4  percent  fat,  according  to  the  method  of  Gaines 
and  Davidson.'  This  method  assumes  that  one  pound  fat-corrected  milk  (F.C.M.) 
has  an  energy  value  of  331  large  calories.  Correction  is  accomplished  thru  the 
application  of  the  formula,  F.C.M.  —  .4  milk  (in  pounds)  +  15  fat  (in  pounds). 


1987] 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


435 


condition  of  flesh  except  for  short  periods  at  the  beginning  of  the  ex- 
periment and  following  calving.  It  has  been  shown,9-10  that  cattle  fed 
on  a  high  plane  of  nutrition  fail  to  make  as  efficient  use  of  their  feed  as 
when  fed  upon  a  low  plane,  and  that  these  differences  in  extreme  cases 
may  be  as  much  as  30  percent.  Cow  576  weighed  about  150  pounds 
more  at  the  time  of  second  calving  during  the  self-feeder  trial  than  at 
the  previous  calving  which  occurred  early  in  the  experiment.  Cow  27 


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WEEKS  — NE.T  E.NERGX  CONSUMEP  WEEKLY 
— NET  LNLROY  REQUIREP  WEEKLY 

FIG.  6. — RATIONS  OF  SELF-FED  Cows  FAIL  TO  MEET  RE- 
QUIREMENTS FOR  A  SHORT  TIME  AFTER  CALVING 

The  record  of  the  nutrient  consumption  of  Cow 
274  is  typical  of  self-fed  cows  in  showing  an  uneco- 
nomical consumption  of  feed  except  for  a  few  weeks 
after  calving,  when  the  nutrient  intake  is  too  low. 


at  the  time  of  calving,  during  the  34th  week  of  the  experiment,  weighed 
about  175  pounds  more  than  at  her  previous  calving.  These  are  in- 
creases of  about  12.5  percent  and  14  percent  respectively  in  the  weights 
of  the  cows,  largely  due  to  the  method  of  feeding,  altho  they  are  to  be 
partly  accounted  for  by  growth.  If  it  be  assumed  that  the  efficiency  of 
the  feed  was  reduced  when  the  cows  were  in  a  high  state  of  flesh,  then 
it  would  appear  that  the  feed  cost  of  maintenance  when  cows  are  self- 
fed  over  long  periods  is  greatly  in  excess  of  that  incurred  by  the  usual 
method  of  hand-feeding. 

From  the  standpoint  of  digestible  true  protein  the  amounts  of  feed 
consumed  were  quite  uneconomical  in  most  cases.  The  amount  of  net 
energy  in  the  feed  of  Cows  25,  267,  and  649  conformed  more  nearly  to 
the  requirements  than  in  the  case  of  the  other  cows,  yet  at  times  the 
feed  contained  50  to  100  percent  more  digestible  true  protein  than 


436 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May, 


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FIG.  7. — HAND-FEEDING  PROVED  MORE  ECONOMICAL  THAN  SELF-FEEDING 
WITH  THIS  Cow 

From  the  12th  to  16th  weeks,  while  Cow  290  was  hand-fed,  the  intake  of  nu- 
trients was  practically  equal  to  requirements.  Previous  and  subsequent  to  this 
period,  while  this  cow  was  self-fed,  the  consumption  of  nutrients  was  greatly  in 
excess  of  requirements.  (See  Fig.  16  for  records  of  weight  and  milk  production). 


FIG.  8. — SUDDEN  CHANGES  OCCUR  IN  THE  AMOUNTS  OF  NUTRIENTS  THAT  SELF-FED 

Cows  CONSUME 

Cow  649  was  fed  a  grain  mixture  instead  of  being  offered  the  various  in- 
gredients separately.  For  a  time  she  consumed  feed  much  in  excess  of  her  re- 
quirements, while  for  a  few  weeks  her  feed  consumption  was  too  low. 


19871 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


437 


1I6CH 


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FIG.  9. — THE  TOTAL  NUTRIENT  INTAKE  OF  Cow  650  REMAINED  CONSISTENTLY  HIGH 

IN  CONTRAST  TO  THAT  OF  Cow  649,  EVEN  THO  THE  PREFERENCES 

OF  BOTH  Cows  SHIFTED  FREQUENTLY 

The  nutrients  consumed  by  Cow  650  remained  much  above  the  estimated 
requirements,  altho  extreme  changes  occurred  in  the  amounts  of  the  different 
feeds  eaten. 


V 


FIG.  10. — ALFALFA  HAY  PREFERRED  TO  PROTEIN  CONCENTRATES  BY  Cow  25 

Alfalfa  hay  was  the  only  feed  consumed  by  this  cow  during  the  entire  ex- 
perimental period  of  60  weeks,  even  tho  she  had  access  to  a  supply  of  linseed  oil 
meal,  cottonseed  meal,  and  soybean  oil  meal.  Note  that  following  calving  there 
was  liberal  milk  production,  together  with  an  increase  in  live  weight,  with  alfalfa 
as  the  sole  feed. 


438 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


{.May, 


§ 

I2AO 

1160 

i  iao 


FIG.  11. — IN  CONTRAST  TO  Cow  25,  Cow  27  CONSUMED  UNUSU- 
ALLY LARGE  AMOUNTS  OF  PROTEIN  CONCENTRATES.  Variations  in  the 
preferences  for  different  feeds  are  clearly  evident  from  this  record. 
On  the  whole  there  was  a  liberal  consumption  of  feed,  resulting  in  a 
marked  increase  in  live  weight.  This  cow  ate  not  only  large  amounts 


60     • 


I 

I50 

1 

U  90 


FEEP  AlflP   MIL> 
LIVE.  Wtl 


COW 

(F.C.M.}  IN  POU4JP3  PER 
r   WEEKLY   INT 


PRIEP  £  E.ET  PUi  P 


v   sfre 
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FIG.  12. — LOW-PROTEIN  FEEDS  PROVED  so  PALATABLE  TO  Cow  576  THAT  BARELY  ENOUGH 
WHEAT  BRAN  WAS  CONSUMED  TO  MEET  THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  PROTEIN.  One  feed  me- 
dium high  in  protein  (wheat  bran)  was  offered  in  connection  with  low-protein  roughages 
and  concentrates,  so  that  the  cow  would  have  an  opportunity  to  balance  her  ration  with 


1927] 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


439 


of  legume  hay  but  also  exceptionally  large  quantities  of  high-protein 
mill  by-products.  Peanut  oil  meal  was  offered  from  the  beginning 
of  the  experiment,  but  none  of  it  was  consumed  until  the  33d  week; 
the  maximum  quantity  consumed  weekly  was  greater  than  that  of 
any  other  concentrate. 


LIVE.  WEIGHT 


A 


jr\ 


/         ^1 


•espect  to  protein.  The  animal  showed  a  marked  preference,  however,  for  low-protein 
feeds,  particularly  corn  and  oats.  Corn  was  especially  favored  during  the  first  half  of  the 
experiment,  but  later  oats  took  precedence  over  the  other  feeds. 


440  BULLETIN  No.  289  [May, 

needed.  An  excessive  quantity  was  contained  in  the  feed  of  Cow  27 
during  the  45th  to  51st  week.  This  amounted  to  7  to  9  pounds  daily 
above  her  estimated  requirements,  and  during  the  104  weeks  the 
amount  was  304  percent  more  than  her  calculated  needs. 

The  data  at  hand  are  too  limited  to  draw  a  sharp  distinction  be- 
tween the  high  and  low-protein  regimes  with  respect  to  economy  of 
protein  consumption.  The  records  secured  so  far  indicate  that  the 
character  of  the  feeds  offered  may  have  little  influence  upon  the  pro- 
tein intake,  provided  the  cow  has  access  to  feeds  which  will  supply 
sufficient  protein  to  meet  her  needs  amply.  Cow  576  seemed  to  be  a 
marked  exception,  since  she  failed  to  consume  enough  protein  to  meet 
her  needs  as  estimated  by  the  standard. 


MOST  SELF-FED  COWS  DO  NOT  SELECT  PROPER 
AMOUNTS  OF  NUTRIENTS 

The  data  are  very  conclusive  in  showing  that  the  cows  fed  by  the 
free-choice  method  did  not  select  feeds  in  the  proper  amounts  and  pro- 
portions to  meet  their  nutrient  requirements.  It  was  believed  early  in 
the  experiment  that  after  continued  self-feeding  the  cows  might  grad- 
ually accustom  themselves  to  the  new  conditions  and  consume  only 
enough  to  meet  their  needs,  but  the  extension  of  the  experimental  peri- 
ods to  78  weeks  or  more  failed  to  show  that  such  habits  were  formed. 

Altho  feed  consumption  was  upon  a  relatively  high  plane  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  lactation  period,  it  fell  below  requirements  at 
the  time  of  parturition  in  the  case  of  several  of  the  cows  (Figs.  2  to 
6).  This  condition  usually  was  reversed  in  four  to  six  weeks.  The 
cows  used  in  these  experiments  were  of  only  moderate  dairy  ability; 
it  is  possible  that  if  cows  of  exceptional  dairy  ability  were  self-fed, 
they  might  consume  feed  about  on  a  level  with  their  requirements 
thruout  considerable  portions  of  their  lactation  periods.  Plans  have 
been  made  to  secure  data  upon  this  point. 

In  but  few  cases  did  the  consumption  of  net  energy  and  digestible 
true  protein  closely  approximate  the  calculated  amounts  needed  (Table 
1).  Most  cows  not  only  consumed  more  feed  than  they  needed,  but 
their  selection  of  the  various  nutrients  was  in  most  cases  inconsistent. 
Usually  the  excess  of  net  energy  above  the  theoretical  requirements 
was  either  much  greater  or  much  less  than  the  excess  of  digestible  true 
protein. 

The  discrepancy  between  the  calculated  protein  requirements  of 
Cow  576  and  the  amounts  this  animal  actually  consumed  is  of  interest. 
From  the  29th  to  the  58th  week  inclusive  the  requirement  curve  if 


1927]  EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows  441 

above  the  consumption  curve,  and  yet  the  cow  continued  to  increase  in 
weight  and  to  produce  milk  at  quite  a  constant  rate  up  to  the  55th 
week.  It  is  thus  very  improbable  that  she  was  drawing  upon  her  body 
tissues  for  a  supply  of  protein.  Judged  by  this  one  case,  the  Armsby 
standard  seems  to  prescribe  a  somewhat  too  liberal  amount  of  protein, 
altho  the  apparent  deficiency  may  be  accounted  for  in  part  by  the 
method  of  calculation  used.  Feeds  vary  in  composition,  particularly 
in  dry-matter  content,  from  season  to  season  and  during  storage.  This 
is  true  of  corn,  oats,  and  corn  silage,  which  formed  a  large  proportion 
of  the  feed  of  this  cow. 


INDIVIDUAL  PREFERENCES  FOR  FEEDS 
CHANGE  SUDDENLY 

It  was  interesting  to  note  the  decided  preferences  of  cows  for  cer- 
tain feeds  and  the  way  in  which  these  preferences  often  changed  sud- 
denly. Figs.  8  to  12  and  14  to  16,  which  show  the  variations  in  feed 
intake  from  week  to  week,  bring  out  the  marked  preferences  for  cer- 
tain feeds.  Figs.  17,  18,  and  19  show  the  relative  consumption  of 
feeds  upon  a  percentage  basis.  The  records  of  each  cow  have  been  di- 
vided into  consecutive  periods  of  13  weeks  (three  months)  each.  Al- 
tho the  preferences  of  a  cow  often  changed  decidedly  during  three 
months,  it  is  believed  that  a  period  of  this  duration  is  none  too  long 
to  ascertain  whether  or  not  certain  feeds  would  be  consumed  at  all,  for 
in  the  case  of  some  cows  a  feed  might  not  be  touched  during  the  first 
two  or  three  weeks  or  longer  and  later  be  consumed  freely.  In  these 
comparisons  of  the  consumption  of  various  feeds,  the  term  palatability 
has  been  used  to  indicate  the  inclination  of  the  cows  to  eat  a  certain 
feed,  whether  impelled  to  do  so  by  the  taste  of  the  feed  or  by  some 
body  craving. 

With  the  primary  object  of  studying  the  relative  palatability  of 
various  high-protein  concentrates,  Cow  267  was  fed  20  pounds  of  corn 
silage  daily  as  the  only  roughage,  while  the  concentrates  were  fed  ad 
libitum.  In  Fig.  17  the  record  for  the  first  15  weeks  has  been  omitted 
because  of  several  changes  in  the  feeds  offered.  Linseed  oil  meal  was 
the  only  concentrate  consumed  during  all  five  periods.  About  4  pounds 
of  distillers'  dried  grains  were  consumed  during  Period  1  and  less  than 
12  pounds  of  soybeans  during  Periods  1  and  2.  These  two  feeds,  there- 
fore, were  not  offered  during  subsequent  periods.  Soybean  oil  meal 
(oil-expeller  process)  was  consumed  freely  during  Period  1.  New 
process  soybean  oil  meal  was  introduced  during  Period  2  and  was  con- 
sumed in  larger  amounts  than  the  other  form.  The  consumption  of 
cottonseed  meal  did  not  exceed  15  pounds  in  any  period. 


442 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May, 


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1927] 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


443 


A  striking  illustration  of  the  changes  in  a  cow's  preference  for  a 
certain  feed  is  afforded  in  the  consumption  of  wheat  bran.  During 
Period  1  Cow  267  ate  less  bran  than  any  other  feed,  so  small  an 
amount  (1.2  pounds)  that  it  was  not  offered  during  Period  2.  It  was 
again  offered  in  Period  3,  with  the  result  that  520  pounds  were  eaten 
in  9  weeks.  In  Period  4  it  made  up  98  percent  of  the  concentrates 


FIG.  13. — MOST  SELF-FED  Cows  INCREASE  RAPIDLY 
IN  WEIGHT 

This  illustration  shows  the  high  condition  of  flesh  of 
Cow  27  after  being  self-fed  for  about  five  months.  All 
of  the  cows  used  in  the  experiments  gained  rapidly  in 
weight  and  with  the  exception  of  Cow  25,  remained  in 
a  higher  condition  of  flesh  than  when  hand-fed.  Cow 
25  was  quite  thin  for  several  weeks  after  calving. 


eaten  and  in  Period  5,  99  percent.  During  Period  4  its  consumption 
was  677  times  as  great  as  that  of  linseed  oil  meal,  while  in  Period  1 
151  times  as  much  linseed  oil  meal  was  eaten  as  wheat  bran.  These 
variations  in  the  preferences  of  Cow  267  for  certain  feeds  are  fairly 
representative  of  all  the  cows  used,  altho  in  some  cases  the  variations 
were  not  so  marked. 

Cow  27  was  offered  high-protein  feeds  for  104  weeks.  Some 
changes  in  feeds  during  Period  6,  however,  make  it  desirable  to  use 
only  the  first  five  13-week  periods  for  a  study  of  palatability.  Soy- 
bean hay,  gluten  meal,  peanuts  with  hulls  removed,  peanut  oil  meal, 
and  flaxseed  meal  were  the  feeds  offered. 

The  feed  record  of  this  cow  is  characterized  by  a  liberal  and 
steady  consumption  of  soybean  hay,  by  a  relatively  small  or  zero  con- 


444 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May, 


sumption  of  peanuts  and  flaxseed  meal,  by  a  liberal  but  rapidly  declin- 
ing consumption  of  corn  gluten  meal,  and  by  a  sudden  and  strong  lik- 
ing for  peanut  oil  meal.  The  consumption  of  peanut  oil  meal  was  prac- 
tically negligible  until  the  34th  week,  when  it  suddenly  mounted  to 
about  10  pounds  daily,  remaining  at  a  level  of  8  or  9  pounds  daily 
until  Period  4,  when  it  rose  to  a  maximum  of  23  pounds  daily.  The 
consumption  of  this  concentrate  was  actually  greatest  during  Period 
4,  but  relatively  greatest  during  Period  5  on  account  of  a  decline  in 
the  consumption  of  other  feeds. 


FIG.  14. — THE  FEED  PREFERENCES  OF  Cow  267  CHANGED  FREQUENTLY  AND 
WERE  VERY  DECIDED 

Wheat  bran  was  offered  for  21  weeks  during  the  early  part  of  the  experiment, 
but  practically  none  was  consumed.  It  was  offered  again  during  the  46th  week 
with  the  result  that  it  soon  was  consumed  very  freely  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other 
concentrates  offered. 


Since  Cow  25  ate  alfalfa  hay  only  and  entirely  ignored  soybean  oil 
meal  (oil-expeller  process),  soybean  oil  meal  (N.P.),  cottonseed  meal, 
and  linseed  oil  meal  (O.P.),  it  is  impossible  to  draw  conclusions  regard- 
ing the  relative  palatability  of  these  feeds  except  to  state  that  in  this 
case  alfalfa  hay  was  evidently  far  superior  to  the  concentrates.  This 
cow  had  been  used  in  an  earlier  feeding  trial  in  which  soybean  oil  meal 
was  compared  with  cottonseed  meal.  During  the  three-week  period 
preliminary  to  offering  the  feeds  in  separate  compartments,  she  was 
fed  70  pounds  of  alfalfa  hay  and  140  pounds  of  corn  silage  weekly.  In 
addition  she  received  a  concentrate  mixture  consisting  of  ground  corn, 
ground  oats,  and  wheat  bran  (equal  parts  by  weight).  Of  this  she 
consumed  132.5  pounds  the  first  week,  131  pounds  the  second  week, 
and  126  pounds  the  third  week.  She  was  accustomed,  therefore,  to  eat- 
ing concentrates  in  quantity  and  had  previously  consumed  readily 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  kinds  of  feeds  offered.  The  concentrates  when 
offered  separately  did  not  seem  so  palatable  as  when  mixed.  It  is 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


445 


likely  that  this  cow  would  have  eaten  certain  other  concentrates  had 
they  been  offered.  She  calved  during  the  first  week  of  Period  3  and 
shortly  afterward  developed  a  severe  attack  of  diarrhea.  In  order  to 
remedy  this  condition,  53.5  pounds  of  scorched  whole  oats  were  fed. 
The  oats  were  eaten  readily  and  proved  effective. 


,1540 


FIG.  15. — SUDDEN  CHANGES  IN  FEED  PREFERENCES  WERE  CHARACTERISTIC 

OF  Cow  274 

On  two  different  occasions  the  amount  of  ground  corn  consumed  dropped 
suddenly  from  quite  a  liberal  amount,  once  over  70  pounds  weekly,  to  zero.  From 
the  10th  to  13th  weeks  no  corn  at  all  was  eaten,  and  then  the  consumption  rose 
rapidly  to  about  75  pounds  weekly.  When  the  consumption  of  corn  fell  off, 
ground  oats  and  wheat  bran  were  eaten  more  freely. 


The  very  remarkable  preference  of  Cow  25  for  alfalfa  hay  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  other  feeds  extended  over  a  period  of  60  weeks.  This 
cow,  weighing  from  1,000  to  1,100  pounds,  after  giving  birth  to  a  100- 
pound  calf  during  the  27th  week  of  the  experiment,  consumed  as  much 
as  341  pounds  of  hay  weekly  and  yielded  as  much  as  242  pounds  of 
milk  (F.C.M.)  weekly. 

It  is  clear  from  this  investigation  that  variations  in  the  preferences 
of  cows  for  certain  feeds  may  occur  suddenly  and  extend  over  several 
weeks  or  months.  Just  how  much  bearing  these  results  have  on  gen- 
eral practices  in  feeding  for  economical  milk  production,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say,  but  it  seems  likely  that  in  feeding  cows  during  tests  for 
maximum  milk  production  a  greater  feed  consumption  could  be  in- 
duced by  catering  carefully  to  the  cows'  preferences. 


446  BULLETIN  No.  289  [May, 

SELF-FEEDING  APPARENTLY  DOES  NOT  STIM- 
ULATE MILK  PRODUCTION 

The  few  milk  production  records  secured  in  these  tests  do  not  of- 
fer great  promise  for  the  self-feeder  method  as  a  means  of  increasing 
production.  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  records  were  ob- 
tained only  with  cows  of  moderate  productivity. 

All  but  three  weeks  of  the  third  and  fourth  lactations  of  Cow  267 
are  shown  in  Fig.  14.  If  the  milk  production  (F.C.M.)  of  the  second 


1360  A 


FIG.  16. — GROUND  CORN  PROVED  MOST  PALATABLE  TO  Cow  290 

The  feed  record  of  Cow  290  was  typical  of  cows  self-fed  on 
a  variety  of  high-  and  low-protein  feeds  in  that  marked  changes 
in  the  preferences  occurred  and  that  corn  was  consumed  most 
freely  of  all  the  concentrates.  This  cow  was  hand-fed  from  the 
12th  to  the  16th  week  inclusive.  In  spite  of  the  marked  re- 
duction in  the  amount  of  concentrates  fed,  milk  production  was 
not  lowered. 


lactation,  which  was  completed  about  seven  weeks  prior  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  self-feeder  trial,  be  taken  as  100,  then  the  productions  of 
the  third  and  fourth  lactations  have  the  relations  of  69  and  31  re- 
spectively. The  decline  in  yield  cannot  be  attributed  to  insufficient 
feed,  since  the  amounts  of  feed  consumed  were  large  enough  to  sup- 
port a  greater  milk  yield  (Fig.  5.). 

Cow  576  showed  an  increased  yield  under  the  self-feeding  method, 
completing  a  lactation  period  of  448  days  with  a  yield  of  11,118  pounds 


19271 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


447 


of  milk  (F.C.M.).  The  yield  during  the  first  321  days  of  this  period 
was  8,923  pounds.  Her  second  lactation  period  of  321  days,  completed 
about  ten  weeks  before  the  beginning  of  self-feeding,  had  shown  a 
yield  of  7,580  pounds  of  milk.  The  maximum  yield  during  any  week 
of  the  third  lactation  was,  however,  only  5  percent  greater  and  for  the 


FIG.  17.— SELF-FEEDING  SHOWS  THAT  PREFERENCES  FOR  CERTAIN  FEEDS  MAY 
CHANGE  FREQUENTLY 

This  chart  shows  the  relative 
amounts  of  the  concentrates  con- 
sumed during  consecutive  peri- 
ods of  13  weeks  each.  The  total 
intake  of  concentrates  during 
each  period  is  considered  as  100 
percent,  and  the  amount  of  each 
as  a  percentage  of  the  whole.  The 
roughage,  which  consisted  of  20 
pounds  of  corn  silage  daily,  has 
not  been  considered,  since  it  was 
hand-fed. 

During  Period  1  Cow  267  al- 
most ignored  wheat  bran,  con- 
suming only  12  pounds,  or  less 
than  1  percent  of  the  total  con- 
centrates, while  during  Periods  4 
and  5  she  ate  practically  no  con- 
centrates except  wheat  bran.  Un- 
doubtedly the  freshness  of  the 
feed,  its  freedom  from  mold  and 
musty  odor,  and  the  degree  to 
which  the  feed  possesses  a  pleas- 
ant aroma  or  taste,  account  to  a 
large  extent  for  the  choice  of 
feeds  which  a  cow  makes,  but  ev- 
idently they  do  not  explain  all 

the  results  found.  In  this  case,  cracked  soybeans  did  not  prove  palatable,  but  the 
soybean  oil  meal  (oil-expeller  process),  which  possessed  a  slightly  roasted  flavor 
and  odor,  was  eaten  freely.  During  Period  2  soybean  oil  meal,  manufactured 
only  a  few  days  before  delivery  by  a  chemical  solvent  process,  was  offered  and 
was  consumed  in  larger  amounts  than  any  other  concentrate.  So  far  as  known, 
the  grade  and  quality  of  the  wheat  bran  offered  during  Period  1  were  the  same 
as  those  of  the  wheat  bran  consumed  during  Periods  3,  4,  and  5. 


100 

90 

eo 

70 
60 

8 

K 
£40 

30 
20 
10 
O 

RELATIVE  c 
rttps  BY 

QM30MPTION   OF 
COW   2.67 

A-  UN5LEP  OL  MEAL,  O.P. 
B-  WHEAT  BRAN 
C-  SOYBEAN  OIL  MEAL,O.E-P 
P-  SOYBEAN  OIL  MEAL.  N.P 

E.-COTTON3E.E.P  ME.AL 
F  -  CRACKE.P   SOYBEANS 

- 

. 

V\ 

1 

i 

I 

^ 
A 

' 

B 

c 

i 

I 

r 

- 

A 

C 

bt  < 

'       A 

1 

CPE        A 

~ 

C  PL      AE 

CPE. 

.2 

= 

1 

* 

| 

i 

•  ^ 

J 

A   &  A     |J 

U3 

CONSECUTIVE.  PtRIOPS   OF    IS    WLEKS  EACH 


first  321  days  only  18  percent  greater  than  during  the  previous  lacta- 
.tion.  The  self-feeding  trial  extended  over  the  fourth  lactation  period 
also.  The  production  of  milk  (F.C.M.)  during  this  lactation,  which 
was  304  days  in  length  and  was  terminated  by  an  abortion,  was  9,454 
pounds,  or  about  20  percent  greater  than  that  of  the  second  lactation. 


448 


BULLETIN  No.  289 


[May, 


Cow  25  showed  a  decrease  in  yield  under  self-feeding,  giving  288 
pounds  of  milk  (F.C.M.)  during  the  week  of  highest  production  in  her 
first  lactation  and  242  pounds  while  self-fed,  or  a  ratio  of  100  to 
84.  The  maximum  actual  yield  during  one  week  of  self-feeding  when 
alfalfa  hay  was  the  sole  feed  consumed  was  274.6  pounds  containing 
3.2  percent  fat. 


CON3LCUT1VE.    PE.RIOP3   Or    15    WttKS   tACM 


FIG.  18. — THE  PREFERENCES  OF  SELF-FED  Cows  MAY  REMAIN  QUITE  CONSTANT  FOR 
MANY  WEEKS  AND  THEN  CHANGE  DECIDEDLY 

Both  roughages  and  concentrates  are  included  here.  The  amount  of  silage 
consumed  was  multiplied  by  the  factor  .3  in  order  to  reduce  it  to  a  dry-matter 
basis  which  would  be  comparable  to  that  of  the  other  feeds. 

During  Period  1  corn  formed  about  three-fifths  of  all  the  feed  eaten,  but  dur- 
ing succeeding  periods  it  became  a  much  less  important  part  of  the  ration.  Dur- 
ing Period  2  about  300  pounds  more  of  corn  were  consumed  than  during  Period 
1,  but  on  account  of  the  increased  consumption  of  other  feeds  during  this  period, 
corn  formed  a  smaller  proportion  of  the  whole.  The  corn  fed  up  to  the  middle  of 
Period  10  graded  No.  2  yellow.  During  Periods  7  to  9  it  was  more  than  one  year 
old.  It  is  not  thought  that  the  age  of  the  corn  was  a  factor,  since  it  seemed  to 
be  in  excellent  condition.  About  the  middle  of  Period  10  No.  3  yellow  corn  was 
fed.  Even  tho  the  silage  appeared  to  be  of  poorer  quality  during  Period  10, 
more  was  consumed  than  in  any  previous  period. 

Aside  from  the  two  cases  noted,  no  other  changes  were  observed  in  the  qual- 
ity of  the  feeds  which  might  have  a  bearing  upon  the  amounts  consumed. 


The  maximum  weekly  yield  by  Cow  27  during  the  lactation  period 
which  began  in  the  34th  week  of  the  self -feeding  experiment,  was  167 
percent  of  the  maximum  during  the  preceding  lactation  period,  which 
was  her  first,  and  during  the  first  18  weeks  of  which  she  was  hand-fed. 
The  decline  in  milk  flow,  however,  was  very  rapid  during  both  lacta- 
tions (Fig.  11).  The  milk  yield  during  the  first  lactation  period  of  43 
weeks  was  6,042  pounds  (F.C.M. ),  while  during  the  first  43  weeks  of 
the  second  lactation  it  was  6,982  pounds  (F.C.M.),  or  116  percent  of 


19271 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


449 


the  first.  A  part  of  the  increased  yield  during  the  second  lactation,  as 
compared  with  the  first,  probably  is  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  natural 
increase  in  productivity  which  accompanies  the  development  of  young 
cows  up  to  maturity. 

In  this  investigation  the  free-choice  method  of  feeding,  which  in- 
duced a  consumption  of  nutrients  greatly  in  excess  of  the  requirements 


FIG.  19. — THE  RELATIVE  AMOUNTS  OF  CERTAIN  FEEDS  CONSUMED  IN  DIFFERENT 
PERIODS  BY  Cow  27  CHANGED  GREATLY 

The  ration  of  Cow  27  was 
made  up  largely  of  soybean  hay 
and  two  protein  concentrates. 
During  Period  1  soybean  hay 
comprised  about  two-thirds  of 
the  total  feed,  declining  to  about 
one-third  in  Period  5.  The  con- 
centrates consumed  during  Peri- 
ods 1  and  2  consisted  almost  en- 
tirely of  gluten  meal,  but  begin- 
ning with  Period  3  this  was  grad- 
ually replaced  by  peanut  oil 
meal.  So  appetizing  did  the  pea- 
nut oil  meal  prove  that  it  formed 
over  half  the  total  feed  and 
seven-eighths  of  the  concentrates 
consumed  in  Period  5.  In  the 
peanut  oil  meal  used,  differences 
were  noted  in  the  quality  of  var- 
ious lots  which  might  possibly  account  for  the  negligible  consumption  in  Periods 
1  and  2,  followed  by  a  sudden  demand  for  it. 


CONSECUTIVE.     PtRIOPS    OF 


WE.E.K3    E.ACM 


of  the  animals,  failed  to  stimulate  milk  production  to  any  higher 
point  than  the  usual  methods  of  feeding,  and  further,  the  limitation  of 
cows  to  high-protein  feeds  seemed  to  have  a  distinctly  depressing  in- 
fluence upon  milk  secretion. 


COWS  CAN  BE  FED  SAFELY  BY  THE  SELF-FEEDER 

METHOD 

So  far  as  could  be  observed,  no  harmful  effects  upon  the  animals 
resulted  from  these  self-feeding  experiments.  As  indicated  in  the  plan 
of  procedure,  no  changes  were  made  in  the  method  of  feeding  on  ac- 
count of  gestation  or  parturition.  It  is  true  that  one  calf  was  born  dead 
and  another  died  a  short  time  after  birth,  while  a  third  died  at  the 
age  of  about  two  weeks,  but  the  last  fatality  is  believed  to  have  been 
due  to  the  condition  of  the  milk  from  the  dam,  which  suffered  a  gen- 
eral toxemia  as  a  result  of  a  retained  afterbirth.  The  calf  had  ap- 


450  BULLETIN  No.  289  [May, 

peared  normal  until  a  short  time  before  its  death.  There  is  no  evi- 
dence indicating  that  the  other  reproductive  failures  were  or  were  not 
related  to  the  experimental  routine  to  which  the  dams  were  subjected. 
In  the  case  of  Cow  576,  it  is  only  known  that  abortion  was  prevalent 
in  the  herd  of  which  she  formed  a  part. 

Cow  274  was  "off  feed"  a  number  of  times  when  she  evidently  had 
eaten  too  much  corn,  but  this  did  not  seem  to  affect  greatly  her  milk 
production  or  general  health. 

A  severe  case  of  diarrhea  was  developed  by  Cow  25  shortly  after 
calving,  but  this  condition  was  readily  corrected.  This  animal  was  re- 
moved from  the  experiment  at  the  close  of  the  60th  week  on  account 
of  a  positive  reaction  to  the  tuberculin  test.  A  post-mortem  examina- 
tion revealed  only  a  very  small  lesion. 

In  general,  the  health  of  the  cows  employed  in  this  investigation 
seemed  to  be  of  the  best.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  continuation  of 
the  experimental  conditions  over  a  longer  period  may  reveal  pro- 
nounced effects  upon  the  health,  particularly  in  connection  with  ani- 
mals subsisting  upon  high-protein  feeds.  This  phase  of  the  study  is 
being  continued. 


SELF-FED  AND  NORMAL  RATIONS  DIFFICULT  TO 
COMPARE  IN  DIGESTIBILITY 

;'  The  consumption  of  large  amounts  of  feed  by  self-fed  cows  nat- 
urally raises  a  question  regarding  the  relative  digestibility  of  such  ra- 
tions compared  with  normal  rations.  A  digestion  trial  was  carried  out 
with  Cow  274  in  an  effort  to  determine  this  point. 

The  trial  consisted  of  two  ten-day  periods,  during  the  first  of 
which  the  cow  was  self-fed,  while  during  the  second  she  was  fed  closely 
in  accordance  with  her  estimated  requirements.  It  was  not  considered 
feasible  to  provide  all  the  feeds  separately  when  the  cow  was  confined 
in  a  metabolism  stall  in  which  the  trial  was  conducted,  so  a  concen- 
trate mixture  was  made  up  in  the  proportion  in  which  the  feeds  had 
been  consumed  previously.  The  mixture  consisted  of  linseed  oilmeal, 
7  percent;  wheat  bran,  25  percent;  ground  oats,  31  percent,  and  ground 
corn',  37  percent.  Alfalfa  hay  and  corn  silage  were  offered  separately. 
Each  ten-day  period  was  subdivided  into  five-day  periods  to  furnish  a 
means  of  checking  the  determinations.  Altho  the  trial  was  carried  out 
when  the  cow  was  in  her  third  month  of  lactation  and  producing  about 
32  pounds  of  milk  daily,  she  unfortunately  did  not  consume  as  much 
of  the  concentrate  mixture  as  she  had  previously  eaten  when  the  feeds 
were  offered  separately.  This  greatly  reduced  the  value  of  the  com- 
parison. 


1927} 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  THE  SELF-FEEDING  OF  DAIRY  Cows 


451 


The  amounts  of  the  feeds  consumed  during  each  five-day  period, 
and  the  coefficients  found  for  the  rations  made  up  in  these  proportions, 
are  shown  in  Table  3.  The  differences  in  the  coefficients  for  the  self- 
feeder  and  the  normal  ration  periods  were  practically  negligible,  prob- 
ably owing  to  the  fact  that  the  difference  in  feed  intake  in  the  two 
periods  (less  than  2  kilograms  of  dry  substance  daily)  was  so  small. 

TABLE  3.— COMPARISON  OF  DIGESTIBILITY  OF  SELF-FED  AND  HAND-FED  RATIONS 


Amount  of 
orts  for 

feed  and 
period 

Coefficients  of  digestibility 

Dry 

substance 

Crude 
protein 

Crude 
fiber 

N-free 
extract 

Ether 
extract 

Period  la  —  Self  -fed  five  days 

Silage  

grams 
24,050 

68 

70 

48 

75 

67 

Concentrates 
Hay  

16,978 

31,326 

Orts1  

....   7,131 

Period  Ib  —  Self  -fed  five  days 

Silage  

20,000 

66 

68 

45 

75 

66 

Concentrates 
Hay  

18,169 

43,696 

Orts1  

4,108 

Period  2a  —  Hand-fed  five  days 

Silage  .... 

35.000 

68 

70 

44 

77 

78 

Concentrates  20,000 
Hay  20.000 

Orts  

0 

Period  2b  —  Hand-fed  five  days 

Silage  

35,000 

66 

69 

39 

78 

71 

Concentrates 
Hay.. 

20,000 
.  .   20,000 

Orts  

0 

'Chiefly  silage. 


CONCLUSIONS 

The  self-feeding  of  cows  is  not  economical  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  amounts  of  feed  consumed,  for  much  more  feed  than  enough  to 
meet  their  requirements  for  maintenance  and  milk  production  is  eaten. 
Cows  tend  to  lay  on  additional  weight,  thus  increasing  the  maintenance 
cost. 

The  milk  yields  of  cows  of  moderate  productivity  are  not  in- 
creased appreciably  by  self-feeding.  Limiting  cows  to  high-protein 
feeds  only  seems  to  depress  milk  production. 

Cows  which  are  self-fed  usually  consume  feeds  supplying  an  ex- 
cess of  net  energy  or  digestible  true  protein  or  both.  For  a  short  period 


452  BULLETIN  No.  289 

following  calving,  however,  the  amounts  of  feed  consumed  may  be  too 
small  to  meet  the  requirements. 

Feeding  dairy  cows  by  the  self-feeder  or  free-choice  method 
is  not  harmful  to  their  health,  provided  they  are  gradually  accustomed 
to  the  method. 

The  method  is  useful  in  studying  the  relative  palatability  of  dif- 
ferent feeds.  Corn  is  the  most  palatable  of  the  low-protein  concen- 
trates used. 

The  preferences  of  self-fed  cows  for  particular  feeds  may  change 
suddenly,  and  these  preferences  may  continue  over  long  periods.  Cows 
differ  widely  in  their  individual  preferences.  It  is  likely  that  greater 
feed  consumption  can  be  secured  when  one  studies  these  preferences 
carefully  and  caters  to  them.  While  this  may  be  of  some  value  under 
the  usual  conditions  of  good  dairy  practice,  its  greatest  application  is 
in  feeding  cows  for  records  of  maximum  milk  production. 


LITERATURE  CITED 

1.  HULCE,  R.  S.    The  preservation  and  cost  of  raising  dairy  heifer  calves.    Nebr. 

Dairymen's  Assoc.  Proc.    1917. 

2.  McCANDLiSK,  A.  C.    Appetite  as  a  guide  in  feeding  dairy  calves.    Iowa  Agr. 

Exp.  Sta.  Res.  Bui.  51.    1919. 

3.  NEVENS,  W.  B.    The  self  feeder  for  dairy  calves.    Jour.  Dairy  Sci.  2,  435.  1919. 

4.  HUNT,  R.  C.    Self  feeders  for  dairy  cows.    Va.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Rpt.    1917-1918. 

5.  HOLLER,  L.  S.    Self  feeding  dairy  cows.    Thesis  for  the  degree  of  B.  S.  in  ag- 

riculture, University  of  Illinois.    1922. 

6.  DAVENPORT,  E.    Principles  of  breeding.    Appendix  section  4  (Statistical  meth- 

ods) by  H.  L.  Rietz.    Ginn  &  Company,  1907. 

7.  BORLAND,  A.  A.    Computation  of  dairy  rations.    Penn.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  161. 

1920. 

8.  GAINES,  W.  L.,  and  DAVIDSON,  F.  A.    Relation  between  percentage  fat  content 

and  yield  of  milk.    111.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Bui.  245.    1923. 

9.  HOGAN,  A.  G.,  et  al.    The  influence  of  the  plane  of  nutrition  on  the  mainten- 

ance requirement  of  cattle.    Mo.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Res.  Bui.  51.    1922. 
10.  McCANDLiSH,  A.  C.,  and  GAESSLER,  W.  G.   Influence  of  condition  on  main- 
tenance requirements  of  dairy  cattle.    Iowa  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  Res.  Bui.  60. 
1920. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  URBANA 


